By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, May 09, GNA – Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, the Minister of Works and Housing, has tasked the newly constituted Board of Directors of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) Ghana Limited to work assiduously to consolidate the gains made by the company over the past few years.
He said the TDC remained one of the nation’s top five‐performing and most profitable state‐owned enterprises, a record which, he said, must be sustained to help address the country’s housing problems.
“Your mandate is noble and demanding: to consolidate this enviable track record and elevate the company’s role in tackling Ghana’s housing challenges head-on,” he urged.
Mr Adjei gave the directive during the swearing-in of a seven-member Board of Directors of the Corporation, in Accra, on Friday.
The Board is chaired by Mr Isaac Odamtten, Member of Parliament for Tema East.
It includes Mr Courage K.M Nunekpeku, Managing Director of TDC, Mr Elliot Gordor, Mr Abdul Gafaru Ali, Reverend Mrs Barbara L. Ayesu, Mr Ebenezer Sam and Mr Adam Awal, all members.
Mr Adjei urged the board to be guided by strategic foresight, innovation, and sound governance principles to provide solution to the country’s housing problem.
“The urgent imperative must drive your actions to provide accessible, affordable, and environmentally sustainable housing solutions to our citizens, particularly the underserved,” he said.
The Minister bemoaned the infrastructural burden the company assumes in new developments, particularly the pre-financing of utility infrastructure for agencies such as the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Water Company.
Such a situation, he noted, lead to increased development costs and hindered housing affordability.
The Minister, therefore, challenged the directors to pursue a comprehensive and responsive national policy framework incorporating cost-sharing mechanisms, targeted
government subsidies, fiscal incentives, or public-private partnerships, to ease the burden on the company.
“The Ministry stands ready to collaborate with all relevant institutions to champion the policy reforms, ease the infrastructural burden, and enhance housing affordability,” the Minister assured.
He also expressed concern about the considerable indebtedness owed to TDC by key state-owned entities, including the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), tasking the new board to regularise these arrangements and pursue a viable debt recovery solution.
“These engagements must be approached with firm diplomacy and alignment with the national interest,” he cautioned.
He warned the board against interfering in the day-to-day running of the company to ensure industrial harmony.
“Your core responsibility is providing policy direction and strategic oversight, not encroaching upon day-to-day management activities,” he stressed, adding that all major policy decisions must be undertaken in consultation with the sector minister.
He also pledged the Ministry’s support, including facilitating access to state lands, promoting equitable negotiations with traditional authorities, and efficiently deploying statutory land acquisition mechanisms to enable the company to expand its operations.
Mr Odamtten, the Board Chair of TDC, assured that the board work shall avert anything that would hinder the progress of the company.
“We assure you that we will give our best for the achievement of both the President’s goal and the specific function of TDC Ghana Limited.
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